Chelsea Villar sparked a third inning rally with her sixth home run of the season. This team-leading home run helped propel the Hofstra University softball team to a 3-1 victory over St. John’s University on Wednesday, April 23.
This marks the Pride’s final out-of-conference matchup this season. They sit at an overall record of 16-24, entering the final two series before the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) tournament.
Carley Ernst twirled a dominate 5.1 innings in the circle, allowing no earned runs. Despite allowing 10 hits, Ernst was able to get out of several jams and keep the Red Storm at bay.
Anna Butler was awarded her first save of the season in the circle after coming in to relieve Ernst in the sixth inning. Butler took the mound in a one-out bases-loaded situation and got the Pride out of trouble, forcing two pop outs. She allowed a strand of hits in the seventh, allowing one earned run to cross the plate.
Loreley Francia was tagged with the loss for her four innings in the circle. She gave up three earned runs on five hits and struck out five batters. Lefty Ana Serafinko came out of the bullpen and was lights out, allowing one hit in three innings of work and striking out six batters.
Dahlia Palacio knocked her 18th double of the season for an RBI in the third and added a single in the sixth. Butler also delivered a multi-hit game, along with playing strong in the circle.
Melanie Santos drove in the lone St. John’s run on a single up the middle in a late attempt to push extra innings.
St. John’s Jess Bianco started attacking on the first pitch by Ernst. She successfully bunt singled and London Jarrard followed with a bunt single of her own. Despite the early traffic, Ernst got out of trouble, forcing two groundouts and a lineout.
After putting up a 1-2-3 inning at the plate in the second, Hofstra came into the third looking to score. Lily Yepez hit a hard ground ball to shortstop for an infield single and Villar sailed a first pitch home run over the left-field fence. Butler continued to rally for the Pride, doubling in the left center field gap which was followed by Palacio’s RBI double. Hofstra put up a big third inning but would be shut down for the rest of the game, only getting one more hit.
Ernst had a tough fifth inning, getting herself in a bases-loaded situation. Jarrard bunted again for a single and advanced to third on an Anese Thompson single through the left side. Cassidy Stouffer drew a walk to load the bases for Serafinko.
The Pride were playing shallow to prevent the run and Nicole Cancel was able to throw Jarrard out at home on Serafinko’s ground ball. Ernst finished the inning, forcing a lineout.
The Red Storm threatened with loaded bases again in the sixth, but Butler shut them down, forcing back-to-back fly outs. In the seventh, St. John’s put up a string of hits, but it was too little, too late and the Pride closed out the victory, allowing just one run in the seventh.
The Pride only have two conference series left. They started the Battle of Long Island against Stony Brook University on Friday, April 25, and wrapped up CAA play at home against Monmouth University. The first pitch for Friday was set for 3 p.m.
